In her first interview since taking office on June 24, Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian laid out an ambitious diplomatic campaign to push for Palestinian statehood and greater international accountability for Israel, even as the war continues in Gaza and Israeli settlements expand across the West Bank.

Speaking to Al-Monitor on July 3, Aghabekian said the Palestinian Authority is intensifying its efforts “at all levels” to end the war, ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza and press forward with a high-level international peace conference. The French- and Saudi-backed meeting — originally scheduled for June at the UN General Assembly in New York — was postponed due to regional instability following Israel’s strikes on Iran.

The Palestinian leadership sees the conference as a rare opportunity to revive the long-dormant peace process. Aghabekian said the diplomatic push continues: “That sustained effort of all embassies, led by the Palestinian mission to the UN, is focused on accomplishing the Palestinian goal through a high-level international conference.” She added that the event is still expected to take place “in the coming months.”

Aghabekian also addressed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s recent message to Donald Trump, describing the June 25 letter "not merely an expression of praise" but a signal of readiness to reengage diplomatically. "We are ready to work closely with President Trump, as well as with Arab and international partners, to achieve a lasting and comprehensive peace within clear parameters and a clear timeframe," she said. The letter, she added, was meant to acknowledge what Palestinians viewed as his “brave and active stance aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Iran,” and a signal of early US engagement when the administration helped broker a ceasefire in Gaza on its first day in office.